Record 800 migrants cross English Channel to UK in single day in December

Some 800 migrants crossed the English Channel to arrive in the UK on Saturday, according to Home Office data, Anadolu reports.

Figures released Sunday showed that 803 people arrived in the UK in 13 small boats, marking the highest single-day total recorded in December.

The arrivals brought the total number of migrants reaching the UK so far this year to 41,455, exceeding the full-year figure of 36,816 recorded in 2024.

The data also showed that around 2,100 people arrived in the UK during the past month.

“The number of small boat crossings are shameful and the British people deserve better,” a Home Office spokesperson was quoted by the BBC as saying.

The figures come as the British government continues efforts to curb irregular migration. Authorities recently said nearly 50,000 people who entered the UK illegally have been returned under an agreement with France.

Under a new UK-France treaty, British authorities have expanded powers to detain and swiftly remove people who enter the country via small boats, preventing them from accessing the UK asylum system.

READ: WHO: Around 80,000 people died on migration journeys since 2014